A Visit from Mrs Hughes
by fuzzydream
Summary: Mrs Hughes stops for a visit in Scarborough and spends some time with Anna and Mr Bates. Set in the same universe as New Tides and Smiles for Tomorrow, so it's probably best to read those first.


**A/N:** Okay, so this is my first time writing in Mrs Hughes' POV and I'll admit it was very very hard to leave my comfort zone (which is usually Anna), but I hope you'll like this all the same. I've wanted to write Mrs Hughes into this little hotel universe following New Tides and Smiles For Tomorrow, and I can only hope it'll be satisfying. It would be awesome if you told me what you think of it. You should probably read those previous stories before reading this one, if you haven't already. :) Thanks so much for reading!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Downton Abbey.

* * *

**A Visit from Mrs Hughes** by fuzzydream

* * *

Elsie Hughes didn't travel much; every once in a while, when she had some few days off, she would visit her sister in the north. When the family was away in London, she usually stayed at the Abbey to make sure everything was in its right order. Things had changed over the years, of course. Everything was so different now – when she thought about the family she served and the other servants downstairs. So many of them had been gone now, some to such terrible circumstances she would rather not think about. But a few of them had managed life after Downton Abbey, and she was glad of it. She still corresponded with dear Gwen and Ethel, to this day, and it often cheered her up to read their letters.

She was particularly happy to read a letter, not long ago, from Anna – it had been with a heavy heart that she had said goodbye to Anna and Mr Bates, but she completely understood their leaving. Elsie was happy and talked to Anna quite a lot, either by writing or even by the telephone, once or twice. From what she heard, their move to Scarborough was giving them great joy, especially with Anna finding out she was with child a few months ago. It had been a joy to share the news with the other servants during breakfast, with everyone extremely happy for them. The invitation came not long afterwards, from Mr Bates himself: he and Anna would be very happy if she could visit them, even if only for a day. Knowing that Anna would most likely be grateful to have someone familiar with her during the birth, Elsie had tried to arrange it so she could spend a few days with them then; their baby, however, decided to be born two weeks before they expected, as healthy as he could be, according to Mr Bates. Elsie had been glad to hear of it, though a little bit disheartened that she hadn't been able to be there for Anna then.

She shook her head slightly at the thought; that was three weeks ago and she was now in Scarborough, trying to see through the steam of the trains in the somewhat crowded station. Better late than never, she thought. She was quite excited to be here now, to see Anna and Mr Bates again, as well as to meet their baby son.

She spotted him before he spotted her, and she had to smile at the sight of the familiar figure not far from her. When he did see her, he waved him hand, making his way to her very quickly, considering his cane. Mr Bates hadn't changed much in the last months, Elsie quickly decided, though she supposed the smile on his face said a lot. He looked completely at ease, and even younger, in fact. She smiled back.

"Mrs Hughes," he said as he stopped in front of her, holding his cane with his other hand so he could shake hers. "As you once told me, you are a sight for sore eyes."

"I may as well say the same, Mr Bates," she agreed.

"Did you have a good trip here?" he asked pleasantly.

"It was uneventful, which is a relief," Elsie replied with a chuckle. "And how are Anna and little Theodore?"

His eyes lit up immediately at the mention, and Elsie had to bite back a chuckle.

"They are very well, Mrs Hughes," Mr Bates said resolutely, a happy smile crossing his features. "Anxious to see you. Anna wanted to come along, but Theodore has yet to develop the same routine every day. Quite unpredictable, but we were expecting this, of course."

"Of course," Elsie nodded knowingly, smiling as well.

"Shall we go, then?" Mr Bates reached for her sole suitcase.

Elsie was happy to follow him.

* * *

Mr Bates spoke with ease, showing Elsie some local places when she pointed out she had never been in Scarborough before, as they made their way to the hotel. The air was quite chilly but pleasant nonetheless, especially when the beach came to their view. It wasn't long until they turned a corner and Mr Bates pointed at their hotel; Elsie smiled. It was a charming building, clearly well taken care of, and she would have expected nothing less from Anna and Mr Bates. When she complimented it and asked about the business, Mr Bates looked quite pleased.

"It's been going very well. Better than we thought, really," he told her. "We've still got a lot to learn and there's certainly room for improvement, but it's been going well, considering it's our first year. We did get the previous owner's employees and they have been very helpful."

Elsie let out a sigh when they finally reached it. Instead of going to the hotel entrance, however, she followed Mr Bates into a small gate right in front of them.

"We'll show you to the hotel in a bit, so we'll go to our cottage first," Mr Bates explained as they walked through a path of wild flowers. "Anna is very eager to see you."

And she was eager to see Anna too; a housekeeper should never have favourites, she knew, but she would be lying if she said Anna was never her favourite. She had always been such a good girl, right from the start. Her heart was heavy when she thought of how much Anna had been through in her life, and Elsie couldn't help but feel anxious to see her again. Anna had been doing better when the couple left Downton, but Elsie knew they were still a long way from what they once had, and she had only hoped a new start would do them well. Seeing Mr Bates now, however, somewhat eased her mind, even before she saw Anna.

As they walked around the hotel, she could already spot their cottage. Much bigger than the one they used to live at Downton, Elsie was quite surprised by it – it was no wonder Anna had been so happy with the move. She suspected this little garden wasn't attached to the hotel, and she supposed the couple – she corrected herself with a smile, the _family_ – had a lot of privacy. It was a beautiful day, and that really only made it all the more pleasant. When they were just a few feet from the cottage, the door opened, and a smiling Anna could be seen.

"Mrs Hughes, it's so great to see you," the young woman said, instantly enveloping Elsie in a hug, and she was quick to hug back. "Thank you so much for coming. How are you?"

They pulled away, and Elsie was happy to see Anna looking so relaxed. She was wearing a pale pink dress, and her hairstyle had changed slightly since they had last seen each other. Her smile looked sincere, which wasn't something she had seen much of Anna before they left, but she supposed a lot had changed since then.

"I think I should be asking you this question, my girl," Elsie replied, and Anna blinked at that, shaking her head slightly but keeping the smile on her face.

"Well, there _is_ another little someone you should meet," Anna said, exchanging a look with her husband. "Come on in, or he'll make himself known in no time."

They chuckled, and Mr Bates let them enter the cottage first before closing the door behind him. After they took off their coats and hats, Anna showed them to the parlour, simply decorated but very welcoming. Two small settees gathered around the fireplace, along with a comfortable looking chair; everything was incredibly tidy, though Elsie wouldn't have expected any less from Anna. Her eyes, however, quickly focused on the small bassinet just next to the chair, as the young woman leaned over it and her arms reached to cradle the baby.

"Let's have a seat, Mrs Hughes," Mr Bates shook her out of her reverie, and Elsie followed him into the room, catching sight of the whisp of very light blonde hair on the baby's head.

Her heart warmed up instantly upon seeing Anna with the baby in her arms, her adoring eyes glancing down at him with a calmness she hadn't seen in a long while. Anna sat beside her on the settee as Mr Bates took a seat on the chair, watching them both. Anna turned the baby in her arms and Elsie saw two sleepy blue eyes watching her with interest as he kept very still in her mother's arms.

"This is Theodore," Anna said with pride, looking at Elsie. "Would you like to hold him?"

"Oh, of course," Elsie admitted, and Anna quickly passed the baby to her. He flailed his chubby fists into the air at the movement, but remained quiet as he settled into her arms. Theodore was a beautiful baby, she decided, as she took in his little button nose and chubby cheeks. He yawned, and Mrs Hughes smiled. "He is beautiful, Anna."

She beamed at this, exchanging a loving look with her husband. "We like to think so, too."

"You look very well, considering Theodore is only three weeks old," Elsie mentioned with a smile.

"He makes it easy for me. He keeps rather odd hours, but he's such a good baby," Anna commented, looking at her son, then playfully at her husband. "Mr Bates is fussier than him."

"It is a good thing he took after his mother," Mr Bates chuckled.

"Oh, I almost forgot! Tea should be ready by now," Anna said, but Mr Bates stood up.

"I'll do that," he told them quietly.

"Thank you, darling," Anna said with a smile, the term of endearment not lost on Elsie. She exchanged a knowing look with Anna before they both looked down at the baby boy, who looked to be on his way to sleep. Anna sighed. "Well, Theodore has just had his feeding, so he'll be asleep in a little bit, I'm sure."

"Are you adjusting well to him, Anna?" Elsie asked her.

Anna nodded. "Yes, he doesn't quite know how to cry yet, poor thing," she let out a chuckle. "He just keeps us up for a bit longer at night. He needs feeding constantly, and I need to be awake for that. I try not to wake Mr Bates, because he does have to work every day, but sometimes he still does and looks after him so I can get more sleep. Other than that, it's been fine. Better than I ever hoped for, really."

"Well, I'm glad to hear of it," Elsie said sincerely, as the baby wriggled in her arms, letting out a soft whimper. "I think he wants his mother."

"He probably does," Anna agreed, shaking her head slightly as Elsie passed the baby to her again. She watched as Anna carefully held him in one arm and smoothed his little hair just a bit, Theodore instantly falling quiet in his mother's embrace. He yawned again and Anna placed a soft kiss on his forehead before turning back to Elsie. "How are you, Mrs Hughes? And everyone at Downton?"

Elsie proceeded to tell her of the little news they had, most of which she already knew. Mr Bates soon returned with tea, and the three of them might as well have been talking in her own sitting room at Downton after a day of work. Everything was natural, and she still found it quite hard to believe that they had left Downton after so many years working there. One look at the baby in Anna's arms, however, made everything make the most perfect sense, and it still served to show her how much things had changed since then.

* * *

Indeed, little Theodore had fallen asleep soon afterwards, apparently not finding it bothersome to hear the adults speaking. Their voices were low as they spoke through tea, and Mr Bates had only had a cup when he stood up and announced he would go to the hotel. He took one more look at his sleeping son and squeezed Anna's shoulder gently before he left with a smile, promising to see them again at luncheon. Anna showed her to the cottage, taking Elsie upstairs to where she would be spending the night. The room was not bigger than the one she had at Downton, but she was quite sure the bed was bigger and it certainly looked inviting. Her suitcase was already there, as Mr Bates had taken care of it, and Elsie then proceeded to show Anna the small items she brought for the baby.

"Everyone was quite excited when I mentioned you had the baby, a few weeks ago," she told Anna, who had been cooing over some clothes Lady Mary had sent, which had once belonged to Master George. "So we all decided to get you something. They all send their best wishes."

Anna took the package from Elsie with a stern look. "You really shouldn't have."

"Well, we wanted to, and it's for Theodore," Elsie shrugged. "I hope you will like it."

Anna gasped slightly when she saw the teddy bear, which would be probably a bit too big for such a young baby, but Elsie hoped the boy would enjoy it as he got older. It was quite fuzzy, with a yellow bow tie on its neck, and Anna traced it slowly before presenting her with a somewhat watery smile.

"Thank you, Mrs Hughes," she said quietly, "I love it, and I'm sure Theodore will too. Please give my thanks to Lady Mary as well."

"I most certainly will," Elsie assured her.

The rest of the morning went by fast; Anna showed her to the baby's room, which was absolutely enchanting. The younger woman chatted about their preparations before Theodore was born and spoke fondly of her husband and talked about the baby's little habits as they both prepared luncheon, though Anna dismissed her help multiple times. Conversation went back to Downton often as Anna asked of Daisy and Mrs Patmore, and even mentioned Mr Molesley. When Mr Bates arrived home, not long afterwards, they enjoyed a quiet lunch, and for a second or two Elsie wondered how things were going back at Downton.

They had just finished eating when the sound of a whimper could be heard, and Anna made to stand up when Mr Bates caught her hand.

"I can do it," he said softly.

"He'll need to be changed," Anna warned as her husband stood up and left the table. She exchanged a smile with Mrs Hughes and frowned slightly. "I'm glad Mr Bates offers some help, and I won't decline it when I know it won't be a pleasant task."

"As you shouldn't, my girl," Elsie laughed. "Does he help a lot, then?"

Anna nodded. "Often. I'm glad he can spare some time and look after Theodore when I am too busy, or when he offers me some help so I can take care of the baby. I daresay he rather enjoys it, though, especially when I must run some errands in town. He rather likes not having to do any shopping for the house and so on, and now he has Theodore as his perfect excuse."

"Let's hope Theodore won't take after him, and maybe he can accompany you to those errands," Elsie chuckled. "How is the town treating you?"

"It's been lovely," Anna admitted. "Everything we need is here. We haven't been to York since before Theodore was born, and we can find everything in town. No need to get any trains for that. And we had a very good season at the hotel, too, which was still rather unexpected, with the way it all happened."

A few minutes later Mr Bates returned with a wide awake Theodore, apparently settled for now. Mr Bates sat back down, still holding his son, and Anna caressed the baby's cheek before standing up.

"I should start cleaning before he decides it's time for his lunch," she said softly, and Elsie made to stand up as well. "Please, Mrs Hughes, you didn't come here to work. You do enough of that at Downton."

"I'll help Anna and you can keep Theodore some company, Mrs Hughes," Mr Bates said as he passed the baby to Elsie. This time, he seemed completely at ease in her arms, his wide eyes watching her carefully. He squeezed her finger around his fist and his little legs flailed adorably.

"He looks a lot like Anna," Elsie mentioned, looking up at Mr Bates, who was now gathering up the plates from the table.

"And for that I am glad," he announced with a chuckle.

Elsie shook her head at him, whilst Anna did the same. "I don't think his eyes will stay blue, though. I think they're already darker than they were when he was born."

"With a bit of luck, that'll be the only thing he'll get from me," Mr Bates smiled.

Anna smacked his arm lightly. "Hush, you."

Elsie shook the baby's hand softly, and smiled down at him as he gurgled. She was quite sure Theodore Bates would be a fine man one day, no matter the outcome.

* * *

Anna had insisted on taking Elsie to see a bit of the town during the afternoon, giving Theodore a bath followed by another feeding after lunch, and the baby was asleep again by the time Anna had settled him in his stroller, perhaps with more clothes than he needed but Elsie knew better than to argue with a new mother. Anna hadn't exaggerated too much though; the wind from the sea proved to make the air quite chilly in the afternoon, and she was glad the baby was warm enough.

They lived by a quiet corner of the beach, though for how long Elsie couldn't know; the town definitely looked like it was blooming now. It was quite pleasant, and they settled for a nice stroll by the sea, next to the main street. Anna soon suggested they stopped for tea, and they had managed a table outside, enjoying the peaceful sound of the waves hitting the shore. Theodore's stroller was placed between them, and Elsie let out a chuckle.

"He looks like he's lost to the world," she said, looking at the sleeping baby. He hadn't given any indication of waking up since they left the hotel.

"He does. He usually sleeps more in the afternoon. Sometimes he only wakes up before dinner. Of course that's not particularly good for us, as it usually means he'll stay up for longer at night," they shared a laugh. "Are you enjoying Scarborough so far, Mrs Hughes?"

"Oh, it's such a lovely place," Elsie admitted, looking around. "I can see why you and Mr Bates chose to live here. And it looks like there are a lot of options for entertainment."

"There are. The fair during summer was particularly nice, even if I hadn't been in the best of conditions then," Anna rolled her eyes slightly. "Mr Bates insisted we leave early when I commented it was crowded. Perhaps we can enjoy it a bit more next year."

"I'm sure it'll be lovely, when the little one is a bit older," Elsie mentioned, the small baby still fast asleep. "I'm happy to see you so settled here. Both of you. You know I worried."

Anna took a sip of her tea and looked back at her. "I worried too. Before we came. I wasn't sure if going away then was a good idea."

Her tone was quiet, and Elsie knew better than to ask for more information. Anna stared ahead, at the beach, while Elsie took a sip of her tea before looking down at Theodore again, who was now showing off a glimpse of a smile while dreaming.

"I was sure I would miss Downton terribly, and there are some days that I do, but I'm only sorry we didn't come here sooner," Anna commented, still staring ahead. "We didn't come here to forget, Mrs Hughes. I hope you know that. We came here to start over, which is not quite the same."

Anna was serious when she met her gaze, a steer determination in her eyes. Elsie smiled at her, relaxing slightly at her words. Anna and Mr Bates had made the right decision in coming here; whilst at the time she hadn't been sure, it was clear this was where they belonged. Anna had left Downton better, though still just a glimpse of whom she used to be; now, it was easy to see that Anna was still the same, slightly changed for different reasons though. Theodore sneezed suddenly from his stroller, and the two women gazed at him, but the baby remained asleep. Elsie looked at Anna again.

"I think you have started over in the best possible way, my girl."

* * *

The rest of the time in Scarborough had been spent leisurely. It was easy to fall into the routine with Anna and Mr Bates; they enjoyed the evening playing cards and Elsie and Mr Bates even drank a bit of beer. Once they retired to bed, sleep came to her quickly, enjoying the early time, as it wasn't usual for her to retire so early. She did hear little Theodore sometime in the early morning, but he was soothed fairly quickly by his parents, and morning came quicker than she anticipated – and so did the time to leave.

Anna accompanied Mr Bates this time, bringing the baby along. They chatted quietly as the train arrived, and soon the dreaded moment came. Elsie was truly sad to leave, however eager she was to return to work; she saw in Anna more than a former housemaid, more than a friend even – they were family to her, even if they did leave Downton.

Mr Bates shook her hand, as proper as ever, and passed Theodore to her once more. She took him gratefully, breathing in his soft baby scent and saying her goodbye to the baby, even if he couldn't understand her. His bright eyes looked around excitedly, though, and she laughed when she passed him back to Mr Bates.

"Please come to Downton," she told them. "Everyone would love to see you."

Mr Bates nodded. "We'll try to go before the next season."

She turned to Anna, who hugged her tightly, and Elsie saw unshed tears in the young woman's eyes when they pulled away.

"I'm glad you came to visit us, even if it was only for a day. Please tell me you'll come again, when you can?" Anna asked her slowly. "Maybe for a few more days."

"I will. I can't very well just see Theodore in photographs from now on!" Elsie said with a watery smile. "Don't forget to write."

"We won't," Anna assured her. "Are you sure you can't stay for a bit more?"

They all laughed, and Elsie shook her head.

"Mr Carson would go crazy if I did," she told them.

"Please send our best regards to him and everyone else," Mr Bates asked her, and she nodded.

She got into the train quickly, before she changed her mind. Waving at them as it began its ride, Elsie laughed when she saw Mr Bates moving Theodore's little fist in the air, as if to wave goodbye. Much as it pained her to say goodbye, it was comforting knowing they had such a happy, relaxed environment at home. Despite all the letters and calls, she only believed it when she saw it – Anna and Mr Bates were happy and rebuilding a new life in Scarborough.

She was glad she could still be a part of that life.


End file.
